1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computing in general and, in particular, to a dual form low power/instant on and high performance/non-instant on computing device.
2. Background Information
Desktop computing devices have typically provided the most processing power and largest data storage capabilities available on the market for the least amount of money. At least, that is true when compared to other computing devices such as laptop or notebook computers. It has only been recently, with the proliferation of low cost computing components such as processors, memory, and magnetic storage devices, however, that laptop computers have been able to approach the price versus performance barrier that desktop computers have traditionally defined. The slightly higher price that an equivalently equipped laptop computer demands over its desktop counterpart is considered by some to be an acceptable tradeoff when such factors as portability are factored in.
Unfortunately, price is sometimes less of a concern than expected battery life when it comes to potential laptop purchasers. Today, the average battery life expectancy for a laptop computer tends to be only 2 to 4 hours, thereby limiting the time and distance one may travel without recharging the battery. Additionally, the battery life expectancy of a laptop tends to be inversely proportional to the number of peripheral devices, such as CD/DVD-ROM drives, MODEMS, and various PC cards connected to the laptop. As the number of peripheral devices connected to the laptop increases, the resulting battery life of the laptop can be expected to decrease.
Most recently, a new genre of low power portable computing devices have entered the market. These portable devices, sometimes referred to as handhelds, or palm-size computers, are typically smaller and more lightweight than laptop computers, have a battery life expectancy that far surpasses that of laptops, and provide “instant on” access to programs and data, rather than requiring an extended operating system load time upon startup as do laptops. Typically, when these handheld devices are powered-on, a microprocessor contained within the device immediately begins to execute operating system instructions and applications stored within a read only memory (ROM) and/or random access memory (RAM) device. Since these instructions do not need to be loaded from a relatively slow data storage device, such as a hard disk drive, prior to execution by the microprocessor, startup time is decreased and battery life increased. Unfortunately, however, as convenient as these handheld devices may seem, they do have some drawbacks.
Whereas desktop and laptop computers provide an abundance of data storage space, handheld devices remain limited in the amount of data that may be stored within the device. External data transfer cables may be used to transfer data between a handheld computing device and an external data storage device, however, such transfer mechanisms tend to be awkward and time consuming.
Similarly, handheld devices typically require specially compiled versions of applications software and operating systems that may only provide limited functionality as compared to a version generally available for laptops, e.g. Microsoft WINDOWS CE vs. WINDOWS 98.
Additionally, because of their reduced size, handheld devices typically contain smaller video displays as compared to laptops, and such displays may or may not provide color display capability. Furthermore, not all handheld devices contain keyboards, and those that do, often implement reduced size micro-keyboards or keypads, rather than the larger size keyboards available on most laptops.
Some users have the need for both a low power handheld computing device as well as a high performance laptop computer depending upon their particular circumstances. For example, when traveling in an airplane, a person may prefer to use a handheld computing device due to the long battery life. Likewise, a person may prefer to use a handheld computing device during a business meeting, where the use of a laptop computer may not be convenient. On the other hand, a high performance laptop computer may be preferable in situations where a user may have a large amount of data to input and has access to a power outlet. For example, a business person may use a laptop as their office computer, but may also choose to use a handheld computing device for use during travel and/or meetings. Such a user is therefore burdened with both the cost and inconvenience of two devices.
Therefore, what is needed is a single portable computing device that incorporates the advantages of both laptops and handheld devices, while overcoming the limitations of each found within the prior art.